Return to The Nightmare
by Mwanamke Nyuki
Summary: After her eighteenth birthday goes horribly wrong, Ib is thrown back into the world of Guertena. With Mary gone who is after her this time? And who will be her knight in shinning armor?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Nightmare

_I walked through the busy gallery, avoiding the packed crowds as best as I could. All the pictures were blurry. All of them. All except one. A picture of a young man. He had purple hair which seemed odd to me. He was a stranger, but… for some reason I felt as if I knew him. He was sleeping on a bed of blue roses with a single red rose in his hands. I felt a pang of guilt for a reason I didn't know. I turned to walk away when I heard my name._

_"Ib."_

_I turned around. There was no one behind me. I turned to walk away again, but this time the picture caught my eye. The sleeping man was awake and looked to be banging against the glass of the frame._

_"IB!" He called. "Ib you must leave! Though Mary's gone you're still in danger! Leave!"_

_"Garry…" The name tumbled off my lips before I could stop or question it._

_"Garry." I said again. The man's eyes filled with tears before widening with fear. "Ib, behind you!" He yelled as I felt a sharp pain to the back of my head. The man called my name over and over again as I blacked out._

_"Ib! Ib, Ib, Ib wake up! Ib you need to wake up!_

"Isabell Rosalind Marie! WAKE UP!" My mother yelled as she shook me awake. A bad dream it was just a bad dream…

I groaned and pressed my face into my pillow when my mom threw the curtains open.

"You need to get up now. It's noon and the party starts at two and I still need to do your make up and you need your dress and I have to do your hair…" My mom continued her never ending list of stuff we had to do before my eighteenth birthday party. Eighteen… I'm eighteen today. This would excite most people, but not me. My aristocratic parents have planned an over exuberated party with over a hundred guests, most of which I don't know. Worst of all its being held at an art gallery. I don't like art galleries. Haven't since I was about ten. I don't remember why I don't like them. I just know that I don't.

My mom dragged me out of bed to make me sit through hours of hair; make up and then forcing me into a dress that I believe needed to stay in the century it was made for, which definitely wasn't this century. This is going to be a long, grueling day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Garry's POV_

I woke to feel something pulling on my hair. I sat up and felt the back of my head trying to find the hair pulling culprit. I felt something soft and pulled it off my head. I opened my eyes to find the blue, red eyed doll starring at me with a creepy smile.

"AHH!" I screamed and threw it across the room.

"Friend!" It yelled as it flew across the room

"WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS ON MY HEAD?! YOU CREEPY LITTLE ABOMINATION!" I screamed as it crawled towards me. I picked it up and stuffed it into an empty vase as iit continuesly screamed "Friend" over and over again.

"I'm so sick of these stupid dolls." I muttered as I put my jacket on. I walked over to what looked like a window to Guertena's Gallery, but I knew very well what it really was. It was my picture. Every day for nine years I watched people walked by and look at my picture. Every day for nine years I waited, waited and watched looking for that little girl with the red eyes. Nine years of waiting and I still haven't seen her. "Ib…" Her name slipped from my lips. I felt tears fill my eyes, I blinked them away quickly.

The gallery lights turned on and the workers filed in. They were preparing for a rather large party. Great. Fantastic. I hate parties. Bunch of drunken adults who like to run into my picture and yell at it.

Two janitors were hanging a banner on the wall opposite of my portrait. It read "Happy 18th Birthday Isabell Rosalind Marie"

"Oh joy. Not just a party, but an aristocrat party. I should just burn my painting now and get it over with."

"I love you friend!" The blue doll said as it climbed onto m head.

"GET OFF ME!" I screamed as I threw it across the room again.

_Ib's POV_

This dress….. Why _this _dress. It's way too much. All my party is going to be is a get together dinner type thing. I abosolutely don't need a dress this….. formal. It's floor length, strapless and the skirt had frills all over it. The only decent thing about it is that it's red, but that's not enough to change my hate of it.

My mom and my dad ushered me into a limo they rented and we headed off to the Gallery. My stomach clenched with fear of something I didn't know. I dreaded spending an entire day in that Gallery.

We walked into the Gallery and I found it to be very familiar, like it was from a dream or something.

"Mom… Have we ever been here before?" I asked my mother.

"Yes dear, we have. A long time ago. We came here for your ninth birthday. Don't you remember?" She replied

"Not really no. I mean, It seems familiar but I don't remember it." I told her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Marie! How nice it is to see you!" A man in a gray suit, with matching gray hair said as he walked over to us. "It has been too long." He said as he hugged my mom and shook hands with my dad. "Mr. Munroe! I wasn't aware you still worked here." My mom said to him. "Ib this is Alex Munroe. You probably don't remember him but he worked here when we came here when you were nine." My mom told me. I shook the gray haired man's hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you." I told him. "It's no problem. I remember you. You were just a little tyke when we met." He said while my parents laughed. I didn't get what was so funny about that. "Anyway, the Gallery is all set up for your party Ms. Marie. I hope you like what we've done with it." Mr Munroe said as he ushered us into the ground floor gallery.

I was too much. Far too much. I didn't like it. At all. But I didn't say anything. Only to save myself from a fight with my mom though.

"May I look around the Gallery for a bit? I would like to look at some of the pictures." I told my mom.

"It's fine by me sweetie. Just be back here before two." She said.

"Ok." I turned and headed towards the stairs.

Geurtena had many interesting painting and sculptures. I stayed for away from The Lady in Red painting. I felt a strong fear of it.

None of the paintings stood out too much to me. I found them interesting but none of them really stood out. Except one. The Forgotten Portrait. "Why do you look so familiar?" I asked the picture. "Where have I seen you before?" I asked again. I closed my eyes and tried to remember.

_""IB!" He called. "Ib you must leave! Though Mary's gone you're still in danger! Leave!"_

_"Garry…"_

"Garry? Who's Garry?" I asked myself.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember.

_Garry's POV_

I was lying on my back through a red ball of paint in the air over and over again when I heard my name.

"Garry? Who's Garry?" The female voice asked.

I was so surprised I forgot to catch the ball of paint. It fell onto my face and broke, covering my face and hair with bright red paint.

I jumped up and ran to my window to the Gallery. The girl standing than look like she was dressed for a ball. She stood there with her eyes closed tight.

"Garry. Why does that name sound so familiar." She said to herself. Her brown hair looked to familiar to me. But I couldn't be sure unless I saw her eyes.

"ISABELL?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" A voice yelled from the lower level of the gallery.

"I'm here mother!" The girl yelled. She turned back to my painting, her eyes open now. They were bright red.

"Ib… My Ib." I said as she turned and headed downstairs. Tears filled my eye's a flowed freely down my cheeks.

A voice rang through my side of the Gallery.

"WELCOME BACK DEAR IB!" It said. The lights flickered on and off. I felt filled with life and turned to see a single blue rose sitting in a vase filled with water.

"Oh no…"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N OK so I know it's been a while since I've uploaded and I apologize but I hit a major writers block. Before I continue I want to reply to a review that made me laugh. Alfred Pierce, Yes in my mind Garry was flipping out inside his head but was to frozen with shock to do anything. And that stupid little blue doll will be in the story the entire time. It's my comic relief for the story. Stupid blue doll... BUT! You were the first to follow my story so you're awesome, thank you so much. Sorry for the really long author's note**

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_Ib POV_

__I turned away from the mystery man in the picture and head back downstairs to were the party was. Guests must arriving by now. The man in the picture remained on my thoughts. Garry… I know the name and the face… But I can't match it with a memory.

I returned to the party and said hello to my parents' friends and wondered around. I walked around for a while, ate some food and cursed my dress to high heaven every time I almost tripped over it. My mother saw my frustration and allowed me to walk around the gallery to cool down. I went back up stairs to try to find the mystery picture again. I walked to the hall where the picture was before but found nothing. I ran my hand over the blank wall and the lights went out.

"Great." I muttered to myself. "Just great"

I felt along the wall trying to find a switch, to no avail.

I kept feeling along the wall and found a door. That definitely wasn't there before. I grabbed the knob and turned. I was surprised to find it unlocked.

I stepped into the dark room and the door shut behind me. When the lock clicked, the lights turned on. I was standing in a room that was all to familiar. There were two book shelves in the middle of the room and a table between them. On the table sat an empty vase.

I walked around the shelves to the other side of the room. There were curtains covering something. On the ground was a small red puddle. At first I thought it was blood but then realized it was only paint.

Curiosity got the best of me and I pulled back the curtains. There was a painting behind them. A painting of the gallery I was just in. The gallery was… Decorated for my party… I could see my mom and dad and their friends. "What is this…" I said to myself.

I felt warmth spread through my body. I turned and found that the vase had been filled with water and in it sat a beautiful red rose. I took it from the vase. Something about it tugged at my memory.

Nine petals…

"How peculiar…" I said to myself.

I heard a bang and looked up to see words written in red paint across the wall

_WELCOME BACK IB_

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**A/N I really apologize for this being so short but I wanted to get something out to you guys. I'll try to get another upload tonight but I make no promises. Reviews please. It helps and motivates me a lot.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four? I think….

**AUTHOR'S NOOOOOOTE**

**OK! SO I HAD A LOT OF MOUNTAIN DEW BEFORE DOING THIS SO I'M REALLY HYPER. I LOVE YA'LL AND YOUR REVEIWS**

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_Garry's POV_

I left my safe room. I took to the halls of this God forsaken place. I don't know what's wrong with me. I must find her. I must keep her safe. He'll be coming for her. He wants her. Dead. I need to find her before he does.

"IB!" I screamed into the empty halls. I heard a hissing behind me and turned to see the Blue Lady crawling after me. I let loose a girlish scream and took off into a sprint praying she didn't catch up to me. I ran and ran… until I tripped over my own two feet.

The Blue Lady pulled herself on top of me and reached for my rose. I knew what came next. I knew too well.

_Ib's POV_

I walked around the small room, holding my rose close. I don't know why but I felt as if I've done this before. I refused to believe any of it was real though. It's only a dream. I must have fallen and hit my head when the lights went out.

I decided that sooner or later I need to leave the room. I wanted to look at the book shelves first. I skimmed the spines of the books finding nothing interesting. Until I reached the bottom shelf that is. There was a bright red book with blue writing titled "_The Story of The Painter's Daughter_" It wasn't a very big book. Only a few pages. I opened it up and read.

_ Once upon a time, there was a gallery. This gallery wasn't normal though, It was the home to an unmistakable, unforgiving, unmerciful evil. The artist of the gallery, Weiss Guertena, was a younger artist. He had no wife, no children, just his works. As he aged he became lonely, regretting never finding a wife or having kids. He painted a picture, an image of what he thought his daughter would look like. He named her Mary. The spirit of this painting was cast into The World of Guertena. Being a young girl she wanted friends but was never able to leave the gallery. The prison she was in started to change her. She knew she'd never be able to leave. Unless someone took her place. The young girl soon became desperate to leave her prison. She would do anything to leave. She brought two people into her world. Two friends. Each now playing her twisted games. She grew fond of one of them. Another girl, about her age, with brown hair and bright red eyes. Mary wanted to get out of this prison with her new friend. Only one thing stood in her way. Him. The man that was brought into the gallery also. He was protective of the other girl and did not trust Mary. He had to be disposed of. Mary and the girl were separated from the man. While separated the man found out Mary's secret. When Mary found this out she was not happy. She vowed that she would make sure that the man never left her prison. The man found them again and took the girl away after knocking Mary out. Mary found them again and pushed them into her cage, her prison, her Hell. She joined them and found the other girl's rose. The man traded his rose for the girl's. Mary accepted. She took his rose and pulled every petal off, causing him to die there. The other girl found Mary's painting and destroyed it, causing Mary to die as well. The girl escaped. Never to remember what happened._

I stared at the picture on the last page. It was me… When I was a kid. I was with a man. The man from the painting. Garry… It was too much for me to handle. I fainted.

My dream…. I was in a room; there was girl, a little blond haired girl

"Hello?" I called to her

She turned. Her eyes grew wide and they filled with tears.

"Ib!" She called as she ran to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist

"Ib I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! What I did was wrong. I'm sorry I killed Garry." She cried into my dress.

"Who… Who are you…" I asked "Who's Garry?" I asked again. She looked up to me with tear filled eyes.

"You don't remember?" She said

"Remember what?" I replied

She let go of me and walked to the corner of the room and brought over a red vase.

"Here. Put your rose in this." She handed me the vase. The water was clearer then clear. I pulled out my nine petaled rose and placed it in the water. I was immediately flooded with memories. Memories of everything. The gallery, The paintings trying to kill me, My rose, My life, Mary, Garry… The lavender haired man who screamed at everything. The man who gave up everything to save my life.

I woke with a start and the first and only thing out of my mouth was "Garry. I still need you."

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**A/N I stayed up really late to get this out to you guys. Hope you like. Reviews are loved as are my wonderful readers.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey guys. I'm back. Maybe. I finished this chapter. I know it's not great and I apologize. School has me stressed out major and I'm still struggling with depression issues. But anyway. I introduced the antagonist. I hope you guys like my choice for it. Love you all. Reviews are loved as well.**

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Chapter Five

Ib POV

I can't believe I forgot Garry. The one responsible for the fact that I'm alive. He's been trapped in this retched museum of death the entire time. Nine years.

"Oh God, I hope he's still alive. And sane…" I said to myself as I prepared to leave our safe room. As soon as I took one step I tripped over my overly long dress. "Mother truckin, stupid dress!" I screamed at the skirt of my dress.

I found a slightly dulled knife in one of the book shelve and cut the skirt of the dress off, leaving me in a corset and petticoat. I removed my high heels and decided to go barefoot. I grabbed my bag which held my rose, the knife, a lemon candy, and a sliver zippo lighter.

I grabbed for the door handle when I heard a small voice behind me;

"Wait! Take me with you! Please friend?" A small blue doll said.

I crouched down and picked it up.

"Depends." I said to it. "Are you going to try to kill me?" I asked it.

"Of course not!" It yelled

"Hmmmm. I guess it couldn't hurt." I said to it as I picked it up and put in on my shoulder.

"Yay! Friend!" It said as it hugged my neck.

I set off with the doll perched on my shoulder. I had no clue where Garry might be, if he even survived this dreaded museum all these years. I kept worrying about him and feeling guilty for leaving him here. "Oh Garry, I hope you're ok." I said to myself as I traipsed through the halls, "Stay brave, stay _safe_ until I find you."

_Garry POV_

I woke to a throbbing head ache. I can say that I was honestly surprised when the Lady in Blue just knocked me out and dragged me away.

I groaned as I sat up. I was in an unfamiliar room with my rose nowhere in sight. That worried me.

"Well well well. Look who's awake." A voice said from the shadowed part of the room.

"Wh-wh-who's there?" I stuttered. I wanted to kick myself for stuttering. Get it together man.

The man stepped into the light. He was built much like I was. Tall and skinny. He had dirty, dull blond hair that he had pulled back into a small pony tail.

"Weiss Guertena." I said. "Or at least what's left of his spirit."

"Don't smart me boy." He said "Or the consequences could be… fatal." He said as he pulled out my rose.

"What're planning on doing with that?" I asked him.

"I plan on getting you to tell me where that little brat who murdered my Mary is." He said.

"I-I- Ib?" I asked. I was scared now. He was after Ib. Not my Ib. Not my Ib.

"Yes. The little red eyed girl. She murdered my baby and I want her to pay." He said, stroking my rose.

"I don't know where she is." I said with my chin held high.

"Hm" He muttered. He plucked a petal off. I felt a sharp pain stab my side. I groaned.

His interrogation continued like that. One petal at a time. Til there was only one left.

He tossed the rose the floor. Leaving the petal.

"I want you to feel as much pain as possible while you die. If I leave that petal your death will drag out. You suffer. Have fun." He left me in the room. By myself. Dying on the floor.

With all my strength I muttered one last sentence. "Ib… Please… Find me. Save me."


	6. Chapter 6

Ib POV

I walked and walked with my little blue friend chilling on my shoulder. He, or it? Told me his name was Tuely. He talked to me about the secrets of the gallery. It had changed a lot since I had last been there.

"Tuely?" I asked

"Yes, friend?"

"Where do you think Garry is?"

"Hm…. I'm not sure… the gallery is very large. He could be in many places. But you know what I think you should do?" He said while hanging upside off my shoulder

"What might that be?"

"Follow your heart. It won't ever lead you astray."

Great, I'm getting philosophical advice from a stuffed doll. Just great.

Me and Tuely took a break in a safe room. I found it weird that we had been here this long and I had yet to run into an enemy. I guess luck was on my side. For now at least.

Garry POV

I laid on the ground, counting the minutes as they ticked by. Five turned to ten, ten turned to twenty, twenty to forty, forty to sixty. How long was this going to take? How long was fate going to drag out death until it finally let me die.

One hundred and twenty minutes have passed. Two hours… Why can't I just die already?

Then I felt it. A warmth in my heart. I don't know what it was but it's nothing I've ever felt before. Then… I felt shock, confusion, fear, then disbelief. None of those emotions belonged to me. I decided that I was losing any grip on sanity I had. I closed my eyes and prayed death came to me.

Ib POV

Tuely and I left the safe room and started walking through the gallery again when something very strange happened.

As we were walking I felt a warmth spread from a spot in my heart, outward, until it consumed my entire chest.

"What's happening?!" I screamed

"A SOUL BOND!" Tuely gasped

"What?!"

"A soul bond! That's when two people whose souls love each and know each other. Two souls that are so similar they fight together perfectly. Not two halves of a whole but two wholes of a pair."

"YOU'RE A DOLL YOU SHOULDN'T KNOW THAT" I yelled at Tuely

"Just because I'm a doll doesn't mean I'm lacking a brain." He replied.

I felt a pull in my chest. I followed it. How much weirder could it get?

I followed the pull through the halls of the gallery. The more I ran the stronger it got. Until finally…

It led me to a door. My heart was pounding so fast. I grabbed the handle and turned it slowly. What my eye's found inside cause me to gasp loudly.

Garry POV

I heard the door open and a shocked gasp. I opened my eye to find someone kneeling in front of me. I felt a cool hand on my sweaty forehead then two lips replacing it. I heard a small whisper

"You're ok now. You'll be ok." I looked up to find a sight that could've pulled me out of the worst coma. Two tear filled red eyes stared down at me. My Ib had finally found me.

I ground out two words before I blacked out

"Hello, love."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Ib POV

"Hello, love."

I found him. I finally found my Garry. My Garry. I like the sound of that.

Garry was battered and bloody. He had cuts and scrapes all over him.

"Oh Garry, what did they do to you?" I asked as I brushed his hair away from his face. I needed a vase. A full vase.

"TUELY!" I yelled.

"Yes friend?"

"I need a vase full of water. Quickly!"

"But friend there's one right next to you…" He replied.

"Huh?" I turned and looked and sure enough there was a blue vase sitting next to me.

"_Save him Ib. Save him and make it out of here alive." _A voice whispered.

"Thank you Mary." I muttered as I placed his rose in the water.

I watched as his rose slowly budded and bloomed back to life.

Garry POV

Floating. I feel like I'm floating. My pain is gone. But…. I feel empty. Why do I feel empty?

I know… It's cause I left her. My Ib. I left my Ib.

Floating.

Then I felt it. The warmth spreading from my heart outward. Traveling through my veins, healing my wounds, giving my breath.

I opened my eyes and found two red ones staring down at me. But not the red ones I was expecting.

"Hello friend!" The blue doll said to me.

"AH!" I screamed as I pushed myself backwards. "Why must you follow me everywhere? You creepy little monster…"

"You know you should be nicer to him." A voice said. "He helped save your life."

I turned around to find a sight that made my heart stop. Leaning up against the wall, clothed in nothing but a knee length petticoat and a corset, was my Ib.

"Ib…" I whispered as I got to my knees.

She pushed off the door and ran into my awaiting arms.

"Garry… Garry I'm so sorry I left you. I'm so sorry I didn't come back for you. I'm sorry." She sobbed into my shoulder.

"Sh sh… It's ok." I whispered to her as I petted the back of her head. "You're here now and you just saved my life. I'm pretty sure that compensates for it."

She laughed and sat up. "Garry?"

"Yes?"

"Why is there red paint in your hair?" She giggled.

Third Person POV

Ib helped pull Garry to his feet.

"C'mon." Ib said and she pulled him towards the door. "We've got to find a way out of here."

_*While avoiding the deranged artist. This should be fun.* Garry thought to himself._

"C'mon Tuely we're leaving." Ib yelled over her shoulder.

The little blue doll ran across the ground and up her legs til he reached her shoulder.

"Wait you bringing him with us?" Garry asked.

"Yep. He's my little helper." She said.

"O… Kay…" Garry said.

The trio stood at the door that led back into the museum.

Ib reached over and grabbed Garry hand as he turned the knob.


End file.
